Phonograph turnatable spindle



Patented Aug. 8, 1950 l. c

Benjamin R. Carson, Haddonield, N. J., assignor to Radio CorporationofAmerica, a corporation of Delaware Application April 1, 1946, Serial No.658,645

(c1. zwia claims;

` L This invention relates to phonograph turntable spindles, and moreparticularly to spindles for :those drop type automatic phonographs inwhich ltheunplayed records `of a stack are supported adjacent theircenters` upon a shoulder on the,

spindle and adjacent their peripheries upon a supporting member at oneside of the turntable.

`In phonographs of this type, the spindles are arranged with a stackdetaining member above the record supporting shoulder for holding back,yall of the records of the stack except the lowermost one While thelowermost record is being :shifted laterally oli of the supportingshoulder on `the spindle to free it from the stack so that it can slidedown along the spindle to the turntable.

Since the stack detainingr member is offset with -;respect to the bodyof the spindle, a problem is `presented when the played records are tobe removed fromthe turntable. As one solution for `this problem, it hasbeen proposed to make the `.spindle removable from the turntableso that,

When the played records are to be removed, the

spindle is rst withdrawn, after which the records can be lifted freely.However, there are a number of objections to the use of a removablespindle. It has `also been proposed to arrange the stack detainingmember in a manner such that it will .yield in response to pressureapplied by theplayed records as they are raised from the turntable.

As constructed heretofore, however, spindles of` this type have not beenfound altogether suitable.

The primary object of my presentinvention is to provide an improvedphonograph turntable spindle for the form of drop type phonographsindicated above which will be free from the objections found in similar,prior art spindles.

More particularly it is an object of my present invention to provide animproved phonograph turntable spindle for drop type, automaticphonographs which may be mounted in a xed position concentric with theturntable and which need not `be removed to enable removal of the playedrecords.

It is also an object of my present invention to provide an improvedphonograph turntablespin- `dle as aforesaid which Will incorporate adetaining member for the unplayed records of the stack but which will,nevertheless, permit free and easy removal of all of the played recordsalong the entire length of the spindle notwithstanding such detainingmember.

Another object of my present invention is to provide an improvedphonograph turntable spindle of the type set forth above which willpermit Leasy land ready removal ,of played records from thereof from theturntable. l l l the turntable ,even though there may still be someunplayed records remaining in the stack, without `firstthavingtto removethe latter records asis necessary infmost prior art spindles of the typeunderconsideration. i 1 ,1 1Still another object of my present inventionis to provide an improved` phonograph turntable spindle as aforesaidwhich will not injure the records either during the transference thereof`from the stackto the turntable, or during removal `A` further objectofmy present invention is to provdean improvedfphonograph turntablespindle as aforesaid which is very simple in construction, `Wlfnchicanbe easily fabricated, which is economical in cost, and which is highlyeiiicient `in use.

l In accordance with my presentinvention, I form the spindle with ashank portionwhich is adapted to be mounted in fixed, concentricrelation with the turntable and which is provided with a recordvsupporting shoulder on which the lowermost record of` a stack ofunplayed records can. rest. The

spindle is also provided with a head portion which `extends beyond orabove the aforementioned shoulder in offset relation with respect tothe` shoulder. The head portion is formed` with .a substantiallylongitudinally extending bore or recess in which is slidably mounted arecord detaining member in the form of a plunger or the like. The recessor bore in the spindle head portion `terminates in an openingon the sidethereof which is opposite the record supporting shoulder, and theplunger is arranged to normally extend through this opening a distancesuch that it is spaced` from `the record supporting shoulder` a distancejust slightly greater than the thickness of a `conventional disc record.It is apparent, therefore, that the lowermost record of the stack, whenresting on the spindle shoulder, `can be `moved laterally by anysuitable ejector mechanism, many ofwhich are well known in the priorrart, to push that record 01T of the spindle shoulder and thereby freeit from the stack so thatit can slide down along the spindle shankportion toward the turntable, `At the same time, the record detainingplunger or the like will prevent the remainingrecords of the stack frombeing moved laterally along with the lowermost record.

. The lower end of the plunger is arranged angularly with respect to theadjacent side ofthe spindlehead portion. Thus, when played records `areto be removed, they are merely raised up along the spindle shankV untilthey engage the inclined, lower end` of, the plunger. Continued `upwardmovement of the played records will then cam the plunger into the recessin the spindle head and thus clear the path for their movement along thespindle head whereby they can be moved freely along the entire length ofthe spindle.

The novel features of my invention, as well as additional objects andadvantages thereof, will better be understood from the followingdescription of `one embodiment thereof, when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation, partly insection, of a phonograph embodying one form of spindle constructed inaccordance with my present invention, and

Figure 2 is a similar, fragmentary view showing the manner in which theplunger is forced into it from the shoulder 3 in the manner describedabove. However, the next higher record of the stack will be restrainedfrom lateral movement by reason of the fact that it will engage theprojecting corner |913 of the plunger I9. Hence, only the lowermostrecord will be released from the stack. As soon as the lowermost recordhas dropped .down to the turntable;` the entire stack will drop down adistance equal tothe distance of the released record and the newlowermost record will then come to rest on the shoulder 3. This vactionis repeated during each record changits bore or recess upon engagementtherewith of played records as they are raised up along'the spindle.

Jf-Referring morev particularly to the drawing 'wherein similarVreference characters designate corresponding.partswthroughout, there isshown a spindle having a shank portion I formed with a shoulder 3 onwhich thelowermost record of 'a stack of records Einay rest, the spindlebeing `also provided withal/lead portion 1 which is offset relativeftothe shank portion I and which extends angularly with respect to theshoulder 3 and the shank portion I. to be arranged in a fixed yorstationary position iconcentrically with a turntable 9 on which thevrecords 5 rest during playing. The unplayed `records of the stack aresupported above the turnitable 9 adjacent their center holes upon thespindle shoulder 3 and adjacent'their peripheries by a suitablesupporting member II. To free each successive, lowermost -record of thestack The shank I isadaptedv :fordropping toward the turntable, asuitable slide II3 may be provided in `conjunction with the support II.When the slide is moved to the right, as shown by itheappended `arrow inFigure 1, the

lower-most record is moved laterally to move it ofi` `of .the shoulder 3whereupon it-becomes free to fzslide down alongtheshank I onto theturntable' 'or ontothe records vwhich 4have previously droppedithereonto.

. To prevent all but the lowermost record of Athe stack. from movinglaterally upon movement of ythezslide I3, the spindle-head 'I is formedwith a Asubstantially longitudinal bore I5 which has a `reduced diameterat its lower-end'to provide 'an annular'shoulder I'I lwhich Vacts as astop for a purpose to be described shortly. lThe reduced,

lower end of the bore I5 terminates in an open- .ing I6 at the side ofthehead 'I which is opposite :the spindle shoulder 3. Slidably mountedin the bore I5 is a plunger I9 which has a flange or 4extension 2lformed on'its upper end for cooperation with the'shoulderll. The plungerlI9 is normally held in its lowered position as deter- -minedbyVengagement ofi-the flange 2I with the it. laterally under the-plungerend- ISaI-'to-free ing cycle in known manner until all, or as many irecords'of -the staekas may be desired, have been played.

When it is desired to remove the played recordS from theturntable, it ismerely necessary to raise them up along the shank portion I untilthe'uppermost one of these records engages the lower plunger end lea.This end I9a is inclined with respect to the adjacent side portionof`the head i, as will be clearly seen from Fig. 1. 1 Conseduently, whenarising record engages f-the plunger end 49a, continued upwardmovementxof the record -will cam the'plungeriIS into the recess orboreI5to the position shown in Fig. 2f Here, it will be noted thatr theplunger I9 is `entirely clear of the rising records and that theserecords are therefore free to be-moved upwardly along the spindlehead'iwfor easy removal thereof.; .1 :In

other words, the'rising records .cleartheir own path for freeand.=easy'removal thereof .along `the ,entire length of rthe spindle.`This is truezeven if -there are records still remaining'in the V:un-

.played stack. In such case, .the rising record 'en-- gages ,thelowermost recordof `the stack, pushes .-the.- latter L record upwardlyluntil it, itself, lengages the inclined plunger end I9a, and `thereafter.forces the plunger to .its retracted position of Fig. v2. Assoon as`the-rising records have passed the corner 1I9b. of `the retractedplunger, 'the spring 423 will, of course, immediately return the.plunger I9 to its lower, operative position in readiness for.cooperation with the records 'of a1new stack.

From the foregoing description, it willnun- .d'oubtedly be apparentv tothose skilled in the art J plunger I1. Similarly, the head 'I neednotfneciessarily .be inclined'with respect to the :spindle 4shank I, butmayrisevertically therefrom in laterally offset relation. In such case,there- ;fcess orbore I5may be arranged angularly'within the head 1,orthe head 1 A.may be .suitably `in clined at the opening .IS to cam therising record sidewise toward the support` I I and therebycause therecords to gradually force theI `detaining member I9 into its bore orrecess I5. Other changes of like nature are also possible. Ithereforedesire that the foregoing shallbe considered merely las illustrative andnot as limiting.

I claim as my invention:

1; Arecord feed controlling spindle forphonographs that automaticallyreproduce in sequence the recordings on successive disc-shaped recordshaving center holes, said spindle comprising a shank portion formounting to guide the successive records to be reproduced intoreproducing positions, said shank portion having a record supportingshoulder thereon, a head portion beyond said shoulder for reception, bytheir center holes, of a stack of unplayed records the lowermost one ofwhich may rest on said shoulder, said head portion having a hollow boretherein terminating in an opening at the side of said head opposite saidshoulder, and a record detaining member movably carried in said hollowbore, said member having an elongated portion normally extending throughsaid opening at an angle less than a right angle to the flare of saidshoulder to a point spaced from said shoulder la distance somewhatgreater than the thickness of a record whereby said lowermost record maybe moved laterally off of said shoulder while said detaining memberprevents lateral movement of the remaining records of the stack, thetransverse cross section of said elongated portion being substantiallyequal to the cross section of said hollow portion at said opening, andsaid extending portion of the detaining member having an edge that isangular in longitudinal section and projects in direction opposite tothe shoulder as the sole engagement element for contacting the centerhole edge of the lowest detained record at a point intermediate therecord thickness.

2. In a record feed controlling spindle for phonographs thatautomatically reproduce in sequence the recordings on successivedisc-shaped records having center holes: an elongated shank portion formounting to guide the successive records to be reproduced intoreproducing position,

said shank portion having la record supporting shoulder on one lateralside thereof; a head portion extending beyond said shoulder andconnested to said shank by a section of reduced lateral Width forreception, by their center holes, of a stack of records to be played,With the rst record resting against said shoulder, and the second recordagainst the first; said head portion having a bore extending in adirection inclined with respect to the shank portion and terminating inan opening on the side opposite to said shoulder; and a record detainingmember slidably carried in said bore, said member having a retractibleportion normally extending out through said opening to a point spacedfrom the level of the Shoulder by a distance somewhat greater than thethickness of a record to detain all but said rst record against a shiftlaterally of the spindle and oi the shoulder for feeding movement alongsaid shank portion; the transverse cross section of said elongatedportion of said detaining member being substantially equal to thetransverse cross section of said bore at said opening, said extendingportion of the detaining member having an edge angular in longitudinalsection and projecting in a direction opposite to the shoulder as thesole engagement element for contacting the center hole edge of thesecond record at a location intermediate the record thickness.

3. The combination as defined by claim 2 in which the detaining memberis rectangular in i longitudinal cross section and the projectingportion is one edge of said member.

BENJAMIN R. CARSON.

No references cited.

